All-city MVP: Lipton caps memorable four-year career

Woodbridge High senior Sarah Lipton looks to have a promising career ahead of her at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

But Lipton, the MVP of the Irvine all-city girls basketball team, will look fondly back on her four-year career at Woodbridge, including this past season when she helped the Warriors go undefeated and win the Pacific Coast League title.

The senior averaged 19 points and 8.2 rebounds and wound up with 1,628 career points.

"The season was actually pretty surprising, not that I didn't think that we wouldn't do well, but just how we did, going 26-4, winning two tournaments and going 10-0 in league and making it to the quarterfinals in CIF," she said. "I'm pretty happy with the season."

So was head coach Pete Belanto, who was aware of how much Lipton, a four-year starter, meant to the team.

"She had an incredible career and probably her best year this year," Belanto said. "She made everybody on our team better because every team we played tried to stop her. We will have a very difficult time replacing her leadership and talent."

Lipton knew she had to step up her game this season.

"I think I've improved tremendously over the last year, mentally," she said. "I had to be a leader last year, but this year, more so because I'm a senior and everyone knew I was going to college to play Division 1. I had to fit into the role of a leader and doing whatever coach Pete (Belanto) and Coach (Eric) Bangs needed me to do."

Lipton had a lot of memorable games throughout her career, but said one stood out this past season.

"My favorite game was probably when we won the South Coast Holiday Classic against San Clemente," she said. "Because I've been in that championship game two times before that. I played Edison my sophomore year and freshman year we played Santa Margarita and we lost, so I really wanted to win it."

The league title was also special, she said.

"That was great because that was my fourth consecutive league championship and going 10-0 on top of that makes it that much better," Lipton said.

Lipton received plenty of support at Woodbridge.

"Coach Pete and Coach Bangs, I think are the best coaches in Southern California," she said.

Lipton's club Coach Russ Davis, her dad, who coached her up until eighth grade, and her mom have been instrumental in her success.

Now, Lipton is getting ready for the next chapter with Cal Poly, which last season advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.

"I'm so excited," she said. "It reminds me a lot of Woodbridge because of the family atmosphere. I think it's great going to a team with a bunch of girls who love the game almost as much as I do. I think it's going to be so much fun."

Lipton isn't sure what her role will be but she's ready to contribute.

"I know their offense but year by year everyone's team offense changes," she said. "Whatever they want me to, I'm ready to mold into the player they want me to be."